Design and Fabrication of a Vacuum Breaker Device to avoid Tank Distortion

Abstract

Safety is one of the utmost important factors to be considered while using the equipments which are highly expensive. The processing plants include chemical conversions, pharmaceuticals, beverages, powder, food, etc. The equipments include tanks, valves, filters, heat exchangers, piping, etc., which are costly and need to be handled and used with high precautions. Silo tanks are used around the world by many companies to store huge amount of any substance without putting it at risk. The construction material used for making the silo tanks are steel, aluminium, wood, or even concrete. The storage capacity of this tanks is around 1000-5000 litres and the cost of each tank ranges around 1.5 lakhs to 5 lakhs per unit. The height is around 10feet to 20feet. So it is not feasible to do the repairing work so high up and if there is any damage, it would lead to a financial crisis for the entire project. One of the major reasons for damage to the silo tank is negative pressure. To avoid this, the vacuum built-up inside should be broken by some means to avoid the huge loss of resources. There can be any technical obstructions in a manufacturing plant such as electricity supply cut, equipment failure, damage due to loads and stresses, or working conditions. By studying all the possibilities, we design a device with simple mechanism, which is reliable and cost efficient as a safety device.